Annie - introduction

Annie is my newly aquired QH Cross mare. She is 11 yrs of age and 15 Hands. Her coloring is very interesting. She is a Bay Roan, however in the winter her main body hair is predominantly white. She alsmot looked like a buck skin when I got her last March. Her long black stockings and black tail/mane with a grayish body really gave her an interesting look. In the summer she was a normal Bay roan with seldon white hair showing.

Annie was mainly used for trail riding. She loves the trail and does very well in any position. We went camping a couple of months after I got her. I was not sure how she really was going to act. She did fantastic. The voyage was long and she did well. She is making everyone jealous because she does so well on the trails. I did notice however that if you stop she gets antsy and wants to keep going. Or eat. She loves to eat. She tries to eat on the go when we pass tall grasses.

Back in June-July, she began to act like a bad mare with the other mares in her pasture. She beat up one horse so bad, we had to move Annie to a different pasture. We tried three different horses with her, two of which were geldings. To no improvements, well maybe a little, she ended up alone for a while until September came along and Sassy was turned in with her during the day. They get along very well. I even think Sassy knows how to handle her marish attitude. She will just have to pin her ears and Annie backs off.

I have been riding her three times a week all summer, in the indoor arena, and on trails too. Now that darkness falls upon us early, I only get to the barn on the weekends. I am working hard with her to slow her trot. I also am taking lessons to better myself, my seat and all. Her trot is so big. She carries heself very elegantly. She could do well in dressage. Her movement is beautiful. However, we need training if we go that route. I don't think she likes it much, but practice will set in and she is learning to slow her trot down.

As for the lope, it was okay in the begining. A bit big, and for short strides, then she would break into a trot, a long and fast trot...Now we have more of a problem, she bucks once when asked to lope. I think it is behavioral. She does it when I lunge her too. She doesn't want to work. So I now reverted to the roundpen and move her feet so I can gain total respect with her. Hope this works. I can't have a bucking horse with my lack of experience.

I will try to keep you updated on her training as I am having her worked on when I can't be there. I will log her progress. Otherwise, she is a sweet mare with great potential.

Mo